Bush and the Crazy Pastor

I don't know what a search of Politicians and their Crazy Pastors on traditional media would come up with. But without seeing the results, I'm willing to speculate the double standard in play on progressive Vs. conservative crazy pastor problems is just breathtaking:

Ed Brayton -- And did you see one article anywhere in the mainstream media about it? I've not seen one that even mentions that on May 2nd, the former president and father of the current president, George HW Bush, was paid by the world's most prominent fascist cult leader to give yet another speech on his behalf, with Moon on the same stage. And it happened right in Washington DC, where the media has no excuse for not knowing about it.

•  You really need a link for this

  Is this a fact or a rumor?

  by Sam Wise Gingy on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:03:54 PM PDT

  •  I got photos here

    Bush with Moon

    by Sam Wise Gingy on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:09:41 PM PDT

    •  Not just Bush...

      Look at all those idiots.

      by hyperstation on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:15:36 PM PDT

    •  John Gorenfeld's original post

      which is where my friend Ed got it, is right here.

      And some pretty remarkable pics of Bush Sr. with Hagee here.

      by Frederick Clarkson on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:55:47 PM PDT

      •  Unfortunately...

        There is a mistake in my story. Bush and Moon appeared together at Texas A & M, not in Washington DC. I didn't actually get the story from John Gorenfeld's post at Talk2Action (if I had, ironically, I would have gotten the location right), but John is THE source of information on Moon and I cannot recommend his new book, Bad Moon Rising, strongly enough. And if you aren't reading Talk2Action, you certainly ought to be. With John, Fred Clarkson, Chris Rodda and many others posting there, it is an indispensable source of information on the religious right.

        by Ed Brayton on Thu May 08, 2008 at 10:06:28 PM PDT

        •  no, i was confused by that too

          The cult site describes how the summit was in Washington, D.C. but somehow included a field trip to Texas.

          It's confusing because they use the same stupid world peace banner at both places.

          by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 10:24:29 PM PDT

  •  Bush's speech info.

    http://upf.org/...

    by lineatus on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:14:08 PM PDT

    •  Bush 41 endorsing Moon by name

      "However, too many citizens these days are becoming disengaged at a time when we need more involvement, more debate, and more foreign exchanges," he said. "That’s why the work of the Universal Peace Federation and The Washington Times is so important, and I thank Rev. Moon and salute all of you for coming here to address these urgent issues."

      Found here.

      by Sam Wise Gingy on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:20:52 PM PDT

      •  I really want to tip you

        but that quote just makes me gag.  (And it's dinnertime!  Barf!)  ;-D

        by Youffraita on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:41:39 PM PDT

  •  Another Link...

    A blog report on this event - with critique.

    realsunmyungmoon.blogspot.com

    by jjohnjj on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:23:23 PM PDT

  •  There WAS one article re this

    The Right's America-Hating Preacher

    By Robert Parry (A Special Report)
    May 2, 2008

    ...

    In his angry sermons, Moon has gone further than saying "God-damn America" – as Wright did – to vowing to sweep aside American democracy and individualism as he builds a one-world state.

    Once his plan to "swallow entire America" is complete, Moon told his followers in one sermon, there will be "some individuals who complain inside your stomach. However, they will be digested."

    But Moon’s hatred of America is not deemed news, in part, because Moon has financed the Washington Times since 1982 to the tune of more than $3 billion, according to former newspaper insider George Archibald.

    by BetterTogether on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:27:51 PM PDT

•  troutfishing

  he did a dairy on it Tuesday

  http://www.dailykos.com/...

  amazing how it's sweeped under the rug

  by eeff on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:04:31 PM PDT

  •  John Gorenfeld at Talk to Action

    Link to story at Talk to Action.

    by jhutson on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:11:54 PM PDT

    •  Gorenfeld's new book

      I mentioned below that Gorenfeld's new book, Bad Moon Rising, is a good read if the subject interests you.

      by kainah on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:24:13 PM PDT

  •  excellent work by troutfishing

    I missed it the first time around

    by Maaarrrk on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:22:05 PM PDT

    •  excellent work by troutfishing, as always n/t

      by kainah on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:24:50 PM PDT

•  These people are all in bed with one another.

  There's really no other explanation.

  [And, no, I wasn't trying to paint a picture (eeeewwww!)]

  by chrississippi on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:05:30 PM PDT

  •  I sure as hell don't want to be the one who

    has to change the sheets.

    by lineatus on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:20:51 PM PDT

•  It's okay to have a crazy pastor in your past (or

  present) if you're a Republican.  In fact, that will actually boost your cred.  For a Republican candidate, it's best to have more than one crazy pastor.  McCain's got Dobbs and Hagee endorsing him.  He should shoot for the Moon.

  by suburi on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:06:14 PM PDT

  •  Did You Grow Up Going to Church Every Sunday?

    "crazy pastor" = "full of the holy spirit"

    (excessive snark content)

    I actually probably wouldn't have minded a "crazy pastor." I may have stayed awake better.

    by CityLightsLover on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:18:26 PM PDT

    •  Tell ya one thing though

      All those pastors full of the Holy Spirit are still pointing people to Jesus. Moon is different, because he's out to dethrone Jesus with himself. Which is a huge potential PR problem for the Republicans.

      by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:23:20 PM PDT

      •  Moon VS Jesus?

        Will that be kind of like the South Park episode where Jesus and Satan fought, and Satan threw the match?

        by CityLightsLover on Fri May 09, 2008 at 05:40:09 AM PDT

•  It's not just preachers, of course

  Republicans can hang with and kiss up to wackadoos secular or religious with impunity while Barack Obama can be castigated and forced to apologize for
  breathing the same air as peaceful former radicals.

  by david mizner on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:06:17 PM PDT

  •  it's "left wing" radicals

    that get all the attention. Right-wing extremist wackos and nutjobs are okay--if you're a republican. It makes me sick and I'm just about to go out for some elitist French food for dinner. Gah.

    by hyperstation on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:17:23 PM PDT

  •  But Rev. Wright is BLACK!!!

    Those pastors full of the holy spirit are white! Get with the program, will ya'??

    by CityLightsLover on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:19:21 PM PDT

  •  My mother is a right wing born-again

    and I bring up Falwell and Robertson all of the time. The crap that they have spewed after various disasters in the world and here at home, would make your skin crawl. Wright pales in comparison to them. She has no response to it, of course.

    by Robin in PA on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:23:07 PM PDT

•  Hey

  Its a paycheck.

  they have no shame, nothing we do will alter that

  by Eiron on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:06:19 PM PDT

•  stadium capacity mass moonie weddings

  fit in so squarely with republican values (according to the washington times, anyway).

  by homo neurotic on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:06:56 PM PDT

•  The double standard isn't IOKIYAR

  The double standard is if your 'crazy' pastor isn't an 'angry black man' the media won't go there.

  by duha on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:07:38 PM PDT

•  More details please?

  A link would be appreciated.

  I seem to remember that George HW Bush once gave a speech about the New World Order in 1990

  Plus ca change, plus la meme chose.

  I'm not surprised.

  Bob in HI

  by BobSchacht on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:08:55 PM PDT

•  What?

  The press missed one? OMG?

  The nasty little beggars were probably in the audience.

  by RustyBrown on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:09:36 PM PDT

  •  LOL! n/t

    by DarkSyde on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:10:45 PM PDT

•  It's OK Because Moon Is The Self Declared Messiah

  So you know anything you read in the Times has to be true

  by bernardpliers on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:10:27 PM PDT

  •  He's the Messiah?

    Fudge, I blew that one; that reminds me of the South Park episode where the gang finds out in heaven to their chagrin that the "correct" religion was Mormon.

    by CityLightsLover on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:21:27 PM PDT

•  Well, Moon has never said anything crazy

  And especially not on tape.

  Right?

  by neil on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:11:49 PM PDT

•  land deals in paraguay too, i forget just how

  many acres they own there but if i recall correctly the bushes and Moon own neighboring properties and it was in the millions. then there was the incident of Moons protege hand delivering millions in cash to KimYungIl (SP?)i'll look it up and post links in a second.

  by playtonjr on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:11:58 PM PDT

  •  Neighboring properties?

    I hadn't heard that.

    Rather thought-provoking that, doncha think?.....

    by beemerr90s on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:15:23 PM PDT

•  Bush on Moon

  

  by notquitedelilah on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:12:38 PM PDT

•  what is good for the goose...

  ... is not good for the gander. Period.

  That is the republic party mantra and they have the "liberal" (wtf) press eating it up. McCain can claim that he made $28k and used food stamps last year and the press does not think twice about Cindy's multi-kagillion dollars in booze related business, it is simply remarkable.

  Hillary can say she has the "white" vote and the press spits it back out into the faces of a majority of "white" people who are voting for the "black" guy.

  This whole thing don't make much sense. Gonna start my rum and coke friday right now... cheers.

  by spankus maximus on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:13:23 PM PDT

•  I'll Never Forget When I Moved In DC

  in the early 90s and picked up a Washington Times not knowing its political leaning. A friend mentioned who owned the paper and I was stunned. About two weeks later Moon did a mass wedding at a local stadium.

  by webranding on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:14:44 PM PDT

•  what we can learn from Wright, Hagee, etc

  is that preachers are fuckin crazy

  by msc on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:15:02 PM PDT

  •  Mine's not

    "You will never hear whom to vote for from this pulpit."

    Direct quote from 2 weeks ago.

    by duck on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:35:52 PM PDT

•  There is a significant difference

  The Rev. Moon is not considered "uppity". Know what I mean? wink..wink...

  by PRESSmUP on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:16:08 PM PDT

•  Get to the heart of it...

  Does Rev.Moon love American money as much as G. H. W. Bush does?

  by OldPhart on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:17:25 PM PDT

•  Complicit

  When you've treaded the complicity, look the other way gravy train for so long, it's hard to get off. They (TM) look at him as Uncle Chuckles. Oh yeah, Rev Moon, whatever.

  by randallt on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:17:49 PM PDT

•  Hagee is worse than Wright

  McCain actively sought Hagee's endorsement for political purposes, while Obama has made it very clear that he does not take advice from Wright on anything political.

  by bourgeoisie on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:17:51 PM PDT

•  This is pretty pathetic

  While Obama shovels frantically  trying to bury the whole Wright episode,  his supporters keep dredging for stuff  like this.  The only function this has is to remind people  of Wright.     None of these Pastorgates that get dug up are comparable to Wright- the 20 year mentor connection  is  just too hard to match.

  by bandersnatch on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:19:32 PM PDT

  •  You're

    right, they're not comparable. Obama didn't seek Wright's blessing or endorsement, he didn't offer Wright weekly conference calls or a veot on Supreme Court judges, and when it came up he made an eloquent and courageous speech followed shortly by totally disassociating himself from Wright. So, yes, you're absolutely right, it's not comparable at all: the GOP is worse by any metric imaginable.

    by DarkSyde on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:44:24 PM PDT

  •  Not sure what you're talking about there

    Considering that the Moon relationship with right-wing conservatives goes back about $3 billion dollars and 40 years. And Moon is a guy who was famous for enslaving teenagers, not yelling about racism.

    "Read about it in my book."

    -- Brian Dennehy in "Best Seller"

    by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:26:40 PM PDT

•  What a great research project!

  How revealing would that be? It makes me salivate....mmmm!!!

  by Robin in PA on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:19:43 PM PDT

•  Distinguishable

  Moon is not African American.

  by muledriver on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:21:34 PM PDT

  •  BTW, should have entitled this story

    DarkSyde on the Moon.

    by muledriver on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:23:35 PM PDT

•  Bad Moon Rising

  The new book by John Gorenfeld on Moon and his ties and aspirations (Bad Moon Rising) is well-worth reading, if you're interested.

  by kainah on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:23:19 PM PDT

•  Do yourself a favor:

  disassociate yourself from me now before you're forced to do so later.

  by pastordan on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:26:08 PM PDT

  •  Now

    Dan I'd never throw you under the bus, and I can tell you from experience, it usually passes right over anyway ...

    by DarkSyde on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:33:39 PM PDT

    •  OMG, from experience?

      I am glad you are ok.  

      by dogheaven on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:48:36 PM PDT

•  Silly

  George Bush is clearly white.

  by DelRPCV on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:29:13 PM PDT

•  It's everybody.

  From Billy Graham to Reverend Wright, I think we've seen the great lot of presidential pastors and spiritual advisors. Ted Haggert, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and the rest of the radical Christian leaders are tearing down this country by spreading sexist, racist, and homophobic beliefs and policies through our government.

  The religious advisors of the right (and left) can be accused of anti-Semitism to plain old destruction of the boundary between church and state. Any kind of religious scandal should entail more and more reason to separate these two entities, not bring them closer together, or to make them an issue for any kind of politician.

  by The Rationalist on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:29:13 PM PDT

  •  Well said!

    buut...but, it's so tempting to expose them for their hypocrisy...

    by Robin in PA on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:37:38 PM PDT

  •  anti-Semitism

    Rev. Moon says God punished Jews with the Holocaust.

    by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:27:54 PM PDT

•  Well, Bush and Moon are neighbors in Paraquay

  Didn't the Bush family buy 100,000 acres next to Moon's million acres over a large aquifer in Paraquay a couple of years ago. Read that there's now a well staffed army (U.S army that is) base nearby too. If the MSM doesn't delve into that, why bother with a speech.

  by SuznAZ on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:30:45 PM PDT

  •  Why everyone knows....

    It's always good to have spiritual comfort, while in temporary exile.  
    Watch those private jets prepare their flight plans for Paraguay 1/20/2009.

    by Lilyvt on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:43:54 PM PDT

    •  Bush in exile?

      The Obama Administration may be good, but not that good.

      by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:28:23 PM PDT

  •  Lake Forest, IL, fin de siecle enclave

    While Europe was undergoing massive social change, the destruction of the monarchies, the rise of Marx/Engel inspired social change advocates, like Rosa Luxembourg a Judeo-Bolshevik antagonistic to the German Monarchy and German State:

    the ruling classes in the United States isolated themselves from the potential violence that social social change might cause...

    in Chicago, the rise of unions, ala Brecht's St. Joan of the Stockyards, created a tense city and the very rich fled with their families to...

    the leafy northern lakefront & F. Scott Fitzgerald-ish mansions of Lake Forest...

    to protect themselves from the rabble and the common man fighting for such luxuries as a 40 hour work week with benefits....

    the rich built FORT SHERIDAN to provide a military barrier between Chicago and Lake Forest...

    I find it interesting that in the New World Order, the incredibly rich are fleeling to Paraguay, long time haven for war criminals fleeing internationall tribunals.

    ?Does Paraguay have an extradition treaty with the USA?

    by Aidos on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:53:15 PM PDT

•  Would'nt be prudent to make that speach n/t

  by Mas Gaviota on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:33:38 PM PDT

•  This tit for tat stuff is stupid

  Obama was in the church for 20 years.  He made some mistakes but constantly trying to take out the next guy is stupid.  Hagee is never going to be the liability Wright is and for a good reason.

  The reality is McCain's pastor is not Hagee but the pastor at North Phoenix Baptist Church.  (Just happens to be one of the largest churches in AZ.)  

  All that being said I would bet McCain and Obama both chose their churches for political gain and not for principal.

  I am frankly sick of the lets get Ferraro, Wright, Hagee, Cunningham, Ickes, etc, etc crap.

  Our country needs some colorful people who slip up once in awhile.  We have become such a BEIGE group of losers both left and right!

  by TheFreeFallingDollar on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:35:41 PM PDT

  •  I forgot to mention Moon

    Like P.Diddy says "its all about the Benjamins"

    BC has pocketed a cool $50,000,000 cozying up to some pretty big losers.

    PLEASE NOTE I AM NOT TRYING TO DEFEND GHWB!

    by TheFreeFallingDollar on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:38:14 PM PDT

•  Don't forget Ted Haggard

  - Religous adviser to Bush White House

  - Evangelical pastor in Colorado

  - Participated in WEEKLY conference calls with White House

  - Admitted to having meth-riddled, homosexual sex-capades with a prostitute/massage therapist

  Why is no one accusing President Bush of sharing Haggard's values?

  by Hank Skorpio on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:40:02 PM PDT

  •  Those accusations....

    probably went into the same dark hole that his record from TANG went, and many, many other unsavory accustions.
    Once that hole is dug up though, stay clear, the stink is gonna be horrific!

    by Lilyvt on Thu May 08, 2008 at 04:47:50 PM PDT

    •  USA's 'political' Killing Field's?

      In the USSR the weight of the lies and secrets are what most likely killed it.  They called the process of cover-ups, the "memory file" because all traces of the cover-ups were wiped out and existed only in memory.

      Have the rich & poweful and well-connected given up on the USA and established themselves a refuge in Paraguay?  Or is it just a wise real estate investment and those military bases in Paraguay are the US taxpayer funded 'security' to protect the BushCo's family and friend's property?

      The Hapsburgs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire sent Maximillian and Charlotta to Mexico, to find an escape for their relatives when the monarchy was clearly beginning to fail.

      Is the Bush clan getting ready to pack up their silver, linens, and pets, and take refuge in Paraguay while the USA goes through social change?

      It wouldn't be the first time in history that this scenario has been seen.

      I wonder what secrets they have buried?

      by Aidos on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:19:50 PM PDT

•  If only someone had told the Washington Times...

  by vanguardia on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:18:30 PM PDT

•  Five Words

  Thank you conservative media consolidation!

  by Lavocat on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:26:27 PM PDT

•  Nah.

  George W. Bush is the worlds most prominent fascist cult leader.

  Where is Rev. Moon's army?  Which countries has he invaded?  Where are his torture chambers?  Where are his essential, eternal  Muslim enemies and dumbass, overiding "clash of cultures"?

  Double standard?  No kidding.

  Jeremiah Wright's history-based, reality-based liberation theology doesn't hold a candle in nutcasery to mainstream Christian Zionism that informs this Administration at the very highest levels, and maintains special priviledge on each and every Sunday morning talkshow as America's model constituency.  

  Combine the perpetual warfare corporate profit center angle, the remote control militarism, the religious nuttery (all three combined definitively in Blackwater), a penchant for uniforms and sado-masochism, (in particular a strange desire to get as many hairy men naked as possible -- a powerful drive, again operating at the highest levels of the executive), and what do you get?

  Moon's a lightweight.

  It's the fascism, stupid!

  by scotts on Thu May 08, 2008 at 05:55:04 PM PDT

  •  if you think he's a lightweight

    Check out the book, I guarantee it will change your opinion.

    by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:29:53 PM PDT

    •  There's no comparison

      between a book and the weight of Bushco crimes against humanity currently underway.  

      I don't know Moon, and I'm not defending Moon.  

      I am a US citizen, and I do know Bushco.

      regards

      by scotts on Fri May 09, 2008 at 11:55:20 AM PDT

•  Is Moon god-emperor yet or not?

  He doesn't seem like the kind of man who'd be content to pull strings from the shadows. Where's the proclamation on Super Bowl Sunday followed by the thugs breaking down our doors? He's held mass weddings, where are the mass executions of all those horrible people who won't let him be their brains?

  Or was getting rich off our sushi addiction all he was ever really after?

  by Visceral on Thu May 08, 2008 at 06:04:09 PM PDT

•  Re double standard:

  On the one hand we like Barack for being willing to talk to the enemy and on the other we vilify George HW for talking with people in an odd sect. Who have multiple weddings but not multiple wives. I guess. Who's confused?

  by Larry Thorson on Thu May 08, 2008 at 08:17:54 PM PDT

  •  just talkin'

    It's more than talk.

    For millions of dollars, Bush helped Moon out of a little jam in the 1990s. The Japanese Supreme Court was hammering his church over ripping off literally thousands of old ladies and widows through fear and high-pressure fraud tactics.

    Read this story from the Washington Post. It's heartbreaking.

    Anyway, because of this PR crisis, Moon called on Bush to give speeches on his behalf in Japan. He paid Bush millions for appearances there and in Argentina, talking Moon up as the "man with the vision."

    Meanwhile in the United States, a group called Mothers Against Moon was begging politicians to stop giving Moon legitimacy. Their sons and daughters had left their families for this group, the Moonies, that has turned thousands of American lives upside-down.

    Read about that in the Washington Post too.

    "My daughter would tell me over and over how in their recruiting films, they would show Moon with Bush to impress young people. They use the films of Moon and Bush and other celebrities to reassure parents that it's okay that their children are on the streets selling flowers 18 hours a day."

    It's not that Moon has odd beliefs. It's that he heads a rather cruel organization that has hurt a lot of people, and it has flourished with help from the Bush family and various other amoral Washingtonians.

    by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:39:55 PM PDT

•  Collection of videos

  Scoobie Davis has begun to compile Moon videos.

  by johngorenfeld on Thu May 08, 2008 at 09:57:01 PM PDT